Welcome to the Bridge - Monthly Newsletter of Grand Island Vineyards

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For more than 50 years our family has tended our vineyards and grown our own grapes, for our wines, along the lush banks of the Sacramento River. We are striving to perfect the art and science of grape growing, and we’re proud to share the rewards of our labor by creating wines that showcase distinctive grapes perfectly. Bridging all aspects of our Winery from the Vineyard, to the Cellar, Winery Grounds,Tasting Room and beyond.

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SUNDAY, FUNDAY - LIVE MUSIC@GIV!

Sunday, Oct. 10th, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

RSVP Here | Cost: $4 - $5 *Members Discounts Apply


We have booked She Calls Him Wilson for Live Music during this Harvest time of the year! Relax and enjoy all the beauty that we have to offer at Grand Island Vineyards.

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HAVANA NIGHTS CONCERT

Saturday, Oct. 30th, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

RSVP Here | Cost: $20 - $200 *Members Discounts Apply


We have booked Don Gato Latin Band for Live Music during this Harvest time of the year! Relax and enjoy all the beauty that we have to offer at Grand Island Vineyards.

Visit our events pages for more information

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Patio Tastings continue as we await the latest news on restrictions for public gatherings. Please use the RSVP button below for more information or to reserve your spot and let us know you're coming. To see all available tastings, click here. We do have some events tentatively scheduled, available here.

Book a Patio Tasting - RSVP
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Only A Few Cases Left!
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BRIDGEHEAD RED WINEMAKER'S BLEND

ITEM NO. REDNV • IN STOCK

SHIPS IN 2-3 BUSINESS DAYS


The first thing you will notice about the Bridgehead Red is its striking deep garnet color and amethyst meniscus.  The wine opens into fresh strawberries and blackberry cobbler on the nose, fading into notes of raspberry jam, black pepper, and cedar.  Tart cherry and sweet oak greet your palate and leave your mouth with hints of caramelized sugar and vanilla.  The softness of the wine is a nice counterpoint to the rich tannins, both of which lead to a lingering velvety finish with a hint of creme brulee and berry compote.


Price: $19.00

Member Discounts Apply.

Buy Now!
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See Blends
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See Varietals
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See Reserve
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A Lot of Great Events are Coming Up!

Written by Tasting Room Manager, Tess Jonson

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Choose your own is back! Join us October 1-4, 10-5pm for a tasting or your choosing. This beautiful weather is bringing everyone out, be sure to make your reservations online. 


We are back in with Sunday Funday live music! Welcoming back one of our favs, She Calls Him Wilson on October 10th from 1-4pm. RSVP for your table of 6 or less on our beautiful patio. 


GIV is very excited to announce our very first concert on October 30th from 6-9pm! The very popular Don Gato Latin Band will be rocking our grounds so get your tickets now! Also joining us for the evening, the Gondo Fusion food truck, PW Cigar Club, and Chandler & Co hats. This will be an event that you do not want to miss!


See all of our Upcoming Events or Tours and Tastings at GrandIslandVineyards.com!

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Grape Stomp Event Was Fantastic!

Written by GIV Winemaker, Ed Seikel

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Everyone that came out for the Grape Stomp this past weekend seemed to have a great time and I thought it would be fun to compare that process to how we ferment a red wine in the cellar.


This weekend you were able to stomp a picking basket worth of whole cluster Primitivo grapes for enough juice to fill a couple small tupperware containers. From this point the juice could be fermented in a cool, dry place using the natural yeast found on the fruit in the vineyard. At the end of the fermentation you will end up with about a single bottle worth of lightly colored finished wine.


In the cellar we normally work with lots in the 1 to 5 ton range, which is equal to 2,000 to 10,000 pounds and will produce around 2 to 12 barrels of wine. With our red wines we want them to sit on the skins to develop more color and complexity, so instead of juicing the whole clusters we begin by removing the grapes from the stems and putting them in half ton bins. In order to get the most consistent and reliable fermentation results we will inoculate the grapes with a commercial grade yeast of our choosing. As the grapes ferment in the bins we will add nutrients for the yeast as well as punch down the cap of dried grape skins that forms due to the release of CO2 and heat. We will taste the fermenting juice every day to determine the optimal amount of skin contact and when that is reached we will then press the juice off of the skins. Instead of our feet, however, we use a press. It consists of a large metal cylinder with an air bladder on the inside. As air is pumped into the bladder it will put pressure on the grapes, squeezing out any last juice still in the fruit. The resulting wine is then put into barrels for aging for around 6 to 18 months before eventually being bottled.

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The End is in Sight!

Written by Operations Manager, Joe Salman

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It seems like eons ago since I wrote the last Sept. newsletter article. 


At that point in late August, I had harvested a few white varieties, and maybe thought the worst was behind me. Like so many times before, I was wrong. 


I suppose what has made this season most difficult is that the red varieties overlapped with the white varieties, making an absolutely huge mountain in early September. 


We are currently picking some of Grand Island Vineyards favorite varieties: Petite Sirah, Primitivo, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We should finish up with Cabernet Franc in the first week of October with hopes our faithful bobtail truck (below) can keep moving all these grapes around!


For those of you interested in some more of the finner wine grape grower knowledge read this article on Farming wine grapes for aroma flavor colors.

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Wine Club Ships Nov. 2nd

Written by Tasting Room Manager, Tess Jonson



We are nearing the end of our summer quarter and we still have some wine club shipments to be picked up.


Stop by the tasting room any Friday - Monday, 10-5pm before November 1st for pickup.


If we don’t hear from you, your wines will be shipped out on November 2nd. 


Get ready for your fall shipment, we have something new waiting for you!!

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